Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom

The Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom currently has an Informr score of 6.3 out of 10.
This score is based on our evaluation of 16
sources including reviews from users and the web's most trusted critics.

The "1-Minute" Review

What's good

Excellent 10x zoom quality

Good screen color quality and viewing angles

Good battery life

What's bad

Sluggish performance when running multiple apps

Bulky and uncomfortable design

Inconsistent image quality in auto-mode

Unlike other smartphones, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom’s main attribute revolves around its rear-facing 16MP camera. While the Nokia Lumia 1020 might boast a higher resolution camera, the Zoom offers an impressive 10x optical zoom. According to reviewers, the zoom quality was impressive without much loss in image fidelity though CNET noticed it occasionally failed to focus on objects and suffered in the macro function.

Image quality itself was a mixed bag for many reviewers. For most, auto-mode produced inconsistent images that were often overexposed in bright light and underexposed in indoor situations with the occasional balanced picture occurring occasionally. The Zoom comes preloaded with different preset modes like food, indoor and action, which yielded better quality images than auto for most critics.

Unfortunately, reviewers found the Zoom difficult to wield. At its thinnest, the device measures 0.6 inches wide, but it doubles in thickness at the zooms lens at the top and large bottom hand grip and weighs a hefty 208 grams. The added thickness and weight made it difficult for many reviewers to use normally as a smartphone. When used in camera mode, critics still had issues as they found the side grip too small to hold and the plastic body too slippery.

On the front of the phone is a 4.3-inch AMOLED display. Resolution is 960x540 with pixel density of 256ppi. Reviewers noticed a slight loss of sharpness when playing HD video or games, but go on to praise the color quality and viewing angles. Trusted Reviews also compliments the screen's responsiveness and states that it reacts "just as smoothly to touch and gestures…as any other top end smartphone…"

Powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1.5GB of RAM and with 8GB of storage, performance is middle-of-the-road. Gotta Be Mobile observes that the phone can easily handle light processing tasks; however it ran into problems with heavy usage and suffered slowdown when numerous apps were running in the background.

Battery life, on the other hand, was slightly above average. Tech Radar drained the 2,330mAh battery after a full day of mixed heavy use and points out that web browsing and camera usage were the biggest battery killers. Engadget warns that at 5% battery life, the phone drops brightness and also ceases non-critical functions, which includes the camera.

Overall, experts are a bit torn on the Zoom. TechRadar states, "We really want to like the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom…but right now it's a poor compact married to a mid-range phone at a high end price tag." Android Central adds that it "doesn't do any one thing poorly…but we're far from compelled by the package as a whole."

What the Critics Are Saying...

The Galaxy S4 Zoom is half camera, half phone, but it's uncomfortable to hold and disappointing to shoot with.

- Jeffrey Van Camp, Digital Trends

The Galaxy S4 Zoom is a versatile device that allows users to ditch their telephoto zooms and smartphones for an all-in-one device that can still fit into your pockets. As a jack of all trades device, the Galaxy S4 Zoom excels at its photographic ability providing mobile photographers with additiona...

- Chuong Nguyen, GottaBeMobile

The Galaxy S4 Zoom is anything but a mainstream device. It's clearly targeted at the shutterbugs, people who like taking pictures all the time and want their pictures to stand out above the rest and don't mind the extra bulk that comes with the device.

- Anupam Saxena, NDTV

The Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom is a good cameraphone let down by a clunky design that we found makes the device fairly unusable day to day. The handset does features some good specifications, including its AMOLED display, a number of useful software features and, of course, its 16MP camera with opt...

- Carly Page, The Inquirer

Despite the ergonomics being fairly bad, we have a soft spot for the S4 Zoom. There is no way it would replace our phone for day-to-day use, simply because we don't see the image quality as a necessity.For those who want a compact camera and a mobile, with space saved in their pockets for something...

If your Galaxy S4 Zoom has problems and is still within its warranty period, you could contact Samsung support or the retailer you purchased the phone from. You'll find Samsung's contact information here. If your phone is off warranty and needs repair for a physical problem such as a broken screen or bad battery, you should visit an authorized service centre or a local phone repair shop. You can also connect with others in The Informr Community Forum to find and share answers to questions.

Critic Reviews

A nice point-and-shoot camera with a full Android phone interface built into it

There will be a group of people that really like the Galaxy S4 Zoom, cling to it, and defend it rigorously. It will have a cult following. But like the Galaxy Cam, it’s kind of a strange tweener product. It’s too bulky and slow to be a great Android phone, but too restrained in image...More

There will be a group of people that really like the Galaxy S4 Zoom, cling to it, and defend it rigorously. It will have a cult following. But like the Galaxy Cam, it’s kind of a strange tweener product. It’s too bulky and slow to be a great Android phone, but too restrained in image quality and optics to be a fantastic professional camera. At $100 with a two-year AT&T contract or $550 alone, it’s not super expensive for a high-end smartphone, but it costs hundreds more than a comparable point-and-shoot.

Essentially a phone glued to a camera

The Galaxy S4 Zoom is a versatile device that allows users to ditch their telephoto zooms and smartphones for an all-in-one device that can still fit into your pockets. As a jack of all trades device, the Galaxy S4 Zoom excels at its photographic ability providing mobile photographers with additi...More

The Galaxy S4 Zoom is a versatile device that allows users to ditch their telephoto zooms and smartphones for an all-in-one device that can still fit into your pockets. As a jack of all trades device, the Galaxy S4 Zoom excels at its photographic ability providing mobile photographers with additional features to help them capture the best moments of life, aided by a 10X optical zoom that provides an equivalent focal range of 24-240 mm, optical image stabilization that helps with night shots when not using a tripod and for recording handheld videos, a high resolution sensor that captures more light, and the best of the Android ecosystem.

Offers average performance and a low-resolution display

The Galaxy S4 Zoom is anything but a mainstream device. It's clearly targeted at the shutterbugs, people who like taking pictures all the time and want their pictures to stand out above the rest and don't mind the extra bulk that comes with the device.

The Galaxy S4 Zoom is anything but a mainstream device. It's clearly targeted at the shutterbugs, people who like taking pictures all the time and want their pictures to stand out above the rest and don't mind the extra bulk that comes with the device.

Great cameraphone let down by an awkward design and poor performance

The Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom is a good cameraphone let down by a clunky design that we found makes the device fairly unusable day to day. The handset does features some good specifications, including its AMOLED display, a number of useful software features and, of course, its 16MP camera with optical zoom...

The Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom is a good cameraphone let down by a clunky design that we found makes the device fairly unusable day to day. The handset does features some good specifications, including its AMOLED display, a number of useful software features and, of course, its 16MP camera with optical zoom.

For those desperately wanting a cameraphone with a good optical zoom, there's little alternative on the market to the Galaxy S4 Zoom, although we'd advise buyers to hold out for the Nokia Lumia 1020, which squeezes a 41MP image sensor into a smaller and easier to hold package.

It feels like a top quality web-connected camera

Despite the ergonomics being fairly bad, we have a soft spot for the S4 Zoom. There is no way it would replace our phone for day-to-day use, simply because we don't see the image quality as a necessity.

For those who want a compact camera and a mobile, with space saved in their pockets...More

Despite the ergonomics being fairly bad, we have a soft spot for the S4 Zoom. There is no way it would replace our phone for day-to-day use, simply because we don't see the image quality as a necessity.

For those who want a compact camera and a mobile, with space saved in their pockets for something else, it's ideal. For us, it feels like a top quality web-connected camera.

A jack of all trades smart phone with a built in compact camera complete with optical zoom lens

You know what they say about Jack of all Trades. Well never has this been more true of a device than than the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom. You have to applaud the manufacturer for continuing to innovate. If nothing else it gives journalists something to get their teeth stuck into. It's just this parti...More

You know what they say about Jack of all Trades. Well never has this been more true of a device than than the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom. You have to applaud the manufacturer for continuing to innovate. If nothing else it gives journalists something to get their teeth stuck into. It's just this particular model doesn't quite work. As a camera phone it's not bad, but there are better. As a camera it's much better in terms of quality than any other smart phone I've ever used. But there are limitations - most notably that it adds considerable bulk/weight to the phone and the camera takes much longer to switch on than a standard compact camera

The overall feel then is of reasonable quality, solid build, and a certain clumsy ugliness

It's almost impossible to score the Galaxy S4 Zoom. It is such a niche product. £400 buys you either not much phone or a lot of camera. Actually, it buys you both. But whether that makes it a good deal depends on your needs: do you want a superzoom camera that can make calls and send and re...More

It's almost impossible to score the Galaxy S4 Zoom. It is such a niche product. £400 buys you either not much phone or a lot of camera. Actually, it buys you both. But whether that makes it a good deal depends on your needs: do you want a superzoom camera that can make calls and send and receive emails? If so this is the phone/camera for you. Otherwise, look elsewhere.

A smartphone geared towards photographers

I wouldn’t use the S4 Zoom as a daily driver because of its somewhat awkward form and, of course, I’ve already got my own setup. If you truly want your daily smartphone photo adventures to get enhanced without losing the phone part, then that’s what this device can do. But someh...More

I wouldn’t use the S4 Zoom as a daily driver because of its somewhat awkward form and, of course, I’ve already got my own setup. If you truly want your daily smartphone photo adventures to get enhanced without losing the phone part, then that’s what this device can do. But somehow, I don’t think there are too many of you out there.

Good point-and-shoot, oddball smartphone

On paper, the Zoom has all the elements of a really great smartphone: a recent Android version, hardware goodies like a fast processor, and the advanced camera. But the whole is less than the sum of its parts, and the Zoom's bulky shape is enough to be a deal breaker.

On paper, the Zoom has all the elements of a really great smartphone: a recent Android version, hardware goodies like a fast processor, and the advanced camera. But the whole is less than the sum of its parts, and the Zoom's bulky shape is enough to be a deal breaker.

If you are planning to take a lot of photographs, it's worth it

The real thing about this phone is the size that the zoom lens attaches to an otherwise slim smartphone. It's chunky. But if you are planning to take a lot of photographs, it's worth it.

Although it's a bit of a gimmick and you shouldn't expect every manufacturer to ditch its super-thi...More

The real thing about this phone is the size that the zoom lens attaches to an otherwise slim smartphone. It's chunky. But if you are planning to take a lot of photographs, it's worth it.

Although it's a bit of a gimmick and you shouldn't expect every manufacturer to ditch its super-thin models for beefy machines like this, the photographic results are excellent and the camera is much more versatile and efficient than on other phones.

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